Your Reflection
by Momiji Aki
Summary: Ito Tora, a mysterious psychic girl who doesn't—couldn't smile. However, why did she depart to Japan? What exactly is her identity? What, or rather, who is she looking for? Questions are bounding onto her and each will be answered soon. Genres may change. Mai doesn't exist. Eugene's alive.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

_**S**__he covered her mouth from screaming. She heard the metal clattering down onto the wooded-floor, the gunshots being fired, gore being splattered everywhere. The tears flowed down her cheeks incessantly, she didn't strain to wipe them away._

_Abruptly, the metal clattering and gunshots had stopped. She heard whispering and footsteps, cabinets and furnitures being yanked open and flipped upside down, glass shattering on the floor and piercing into the cream-beige walls._

_The windows had been burst open, glass descending down onto the floors. She curled herself tighter in the dark wardrobe, hoping the intruders wouldn't find her. She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to avoid every sound happening outside of her bedroom._

_She hoped her parents and intimates were all right. Every part of her had wanted to go out, check to see if they were all right and hoped that everything was just a nightmare, but her instincts had stopped her to do so._

_Suddenly she heard her bedroom door being slammed open. She froze, eyes wide. It's too late, she thought. Too late to escape now._

_She heard her bed being flipped upside down, her desk being thrown across her room. She begged God to save her life, begged the Heavens to help her out of this forlorn commotion. This was never meant to happen, she thought._

_Unfortunately the sounds had stopped. She thought the people were gone. She had _thought._ Until the door to the wardrobe had been yanked open. _

_Every second in reality seemed to freeze._

_And she screamed._

. . .

May

Wednesday

She woke up in a cold sweat, her chilly hands trembling. Not that dream again, she thought. She sat upright and looked out her glass window. The faint curtains were covering it, the morning light glimmered through it and birds outside were twittering audibly.

She flipped her black quilt off of her and deeply sighed. She stretched and strode towards the window. She yanked the curtains apart from each other and opened the window.

The wind flew inside and she gently closed her eyes and breathed in the cool breeze, eventually relaxing.

She glanced at her clock. It was six in the morning which was too early for her to go to school. She decided to take her time.

She seized her school uniform and headed towards her bathroom. She peered at the mirror. Her cold crystal-blue eyes with a speck of hazel seemed piercing. Her disordered straight midnight black hair reached her waist just slightly above with her front bangs tangled and sweaty on her forehead. She sighed and stripped herself from her already sweaty clothes.

She stepped into the shower and turned on the water. She adjusted it and turned it on cold, fully waking her up. She stood under the frigid water for what seemed like hours.

Finally, she dried herself and dressed. She brushed her midnight black hair—through the tangled knots, in the ends as well. She spread her lips upwards—attempting to smile, but failed to do so.

She frowned. She could never smile ever again. She sighed and began brushing her teeth, cleaning every inch of her morning breath. Once she was done, she strode out of the bathroom and down the dim hallway.

She stepped out of the hallway, the kitchen and dining table were on the right side of the area with the lounge room on the left area. A large balcony was placed on the left side of the wall, curtains covering the morning sunlight.

Everything was black, grey and white. She never liked much color at all. The dimness in her apartment made everything seem so dull and isolated.

A white rug on the floor was rather sizable. It covered most of the entire lounge room, just leaving a few inches from reaching the light grey walls. The dark grey wooded-floor has been cut in half from the kitchen. The kitchen's floor was a clear white tile and had a kitchen island in the midst of the kitchen.

A black sofa was against the wall a few inches from the balcony. It held two grey cushions and one white cushion. A window from the ceiling was right above the sofa, which shone sunlight onto it.

A television was just across the sofa with a dark grey rectangle coffee table among them both. A small table was beside the sofa and held a black lamp with a picture frame of her entire family—including her guardians, loyal chauffeur and trustworthy servants and maids.

A dark grey door was right beside the kitchen, with a few light switches beside it. A white shoe cabinet was against the end of the side of the kitchen counter beside the door.

Everything was dusted and cleaned.

She walked towards the balcony and pulled the faint grey curtains apart from each other, letting the morning sunlight glow bright in her dim apartment. She tried to smile, but once again she couldn't.

She walked towards the coffee table and snatched the remote control. She turned the television on and changed the channel to the news.

She sauntered towards the kitchen refrigerator and grabbed a half-eaten sandwich.

"Old." She furrowed her brows and sighed before placing it into the microwave. She patiently waited until it was done beeping.

She took the sandwich out and slowly bit it. She leisurely chewed on it, and finally tasted the sour, old and crummy tang. She spat it out onto her pale bare hand and rushed towards the trash—spitting and almost vomiting at that—she cleaned herself up and sighed.

"No food, empty cabinets and a vacant refrigerator." She scratched her head disappointedly. She looked at the ticking clock above her television. It was seven forty-three. "Still too early."

She advanced to her sofa and plopped onto it. She gazed at the television impassively, she had no idea what to do. Suddenly, her phone began to ring from the kitchen counter.

She hurriedly walked towards it and picked it up. She placed it beside her ear.

"Yes?"

"Tora-chan, hurry and come towards the Shibuya Café!" Her friend, Keiko, practically screamed from the phone.

"Why would I do that?"

"You can't believe it, there's sixty-five percent off for every breakfast meal and drinks!" She heard her other friend Michiru scream in excitement.

I haven't ate breakfast yet, and Shibuya Café isn't far from here, Tora thought. She unconsciously nodded her head, however, she knew nobody could see it.

"I'll be there in five minutes," she said.

"Just hurry up before the café meals are all sold out!" Michiru exclaimed.

Tora hung up and grasped her school bag. She walked out of her apartment and partially ran towards the elevator. Once she was in the elevator, she pressed the lobby button.

She patiently waited until she reached her destination. She walked out of the elevator and nodded a greeting towards the secretary. The secretary nodded back with a smile.

Tora craved to smile back.

She ran down the lively streets, under the dingy-cloudy sky and continued to do so until she saw the café. She noticed her friends at the window and waved. They waved back with a wide smile.

She walked inside the café and her friends ran towards her.

"Let's go order something!" Michiru said.

"We already ate, Michiru. I don't want to be stout!" Keiko complained. Michiru nervously chuckled. Tora shook her head.

"I'll be back," Tora said and walked towards the line of people. She sighed. She looked back at her friends, they were chatting around a table.

Once she was done ordering, she sauntered towards her friends and sat comfortably onto a wooden chair between her grinning friends.

She began eating her cinnamon cake whipped with butter cream and topped off with a red strawberry. She looked up and saw her friends staring and practically drooling over her breakfast

"You can order some over there." Tora gestured over the long line of people that impatiently waited to order for their meals.

"But I'd hate to wait!" Michiru whined and folded her arms over her chest. "Besides, school is about to start."

Keiko looked at her wristwatch. "We only have ten minutes," she said and began packing her notebooks and textbooks.

"Tora-chan, are you all right being here for a bit? Michiru and I have to hurry to the washrooms," Keiko said. Tora nodded and waved them away.

She proceeded to eat her cinnamon cake. Once she was done, she sipped her bottled orange juice. She patiently waited for Keiko and Michiru to return from the restroom.

Five minutes passed by and there were still no signs of them both returning. Tora sighed. They both always like to prank me, she thought and shook her head. How could I fall for it again? She sighed once more and clasped her school bag.

She walked out of the café and sprinted down the busy Shibuya street. Tora was too lost in thought until she bonked into a rather hard cement wall—but it wasn't a wall, it was a person—a person's chest at that.

"Oof!" She bounced back from her steps and stumbled slightly. She stood her ground and looked up just to see a boy possibly an age older than her. He had short black hair with a pale complexion. His dark sapphire eyes matched his exquisite skin and his nose was in a perfect angle with his straight ideal thin lips. He had a irie built—a handsome and bonny man at that.

"I'm sorry," she apologized and bowed down in a horizontal line. She turned back up and looked directly into his sapphire eyes as if she were getting lost into them.

"Watch where you're walking next time," he bluntly said and proceeded to walk away. Tora's temple vein popped in irritation.

"Perhaps you could be more deferential next time!" she bitterly muttered behind his back. Fortunately he didn't hear and Tora continued to make a wacko dash for school.

. . .

She gazed outside of the window, the frigid breeze blowing the sakura tree's petals. It was a lovely sight for her. Tora remembered when her mother used to chase her and her sister around their old sakura tree when they were merely two. Her father would always watch them or take pictures which made her mother chase him down for sneaking up on them without her awareness.

She sighed. Tora missed the old times. She remembered what had happened when her parents had died and when she departed from England to Japan due to some queer business she had. She had even made a hoax identity for herself.

Tora remembered that she had used to convince her parents to go to Japan when she was eight, but they had angrily denied—saying they didn't want to lose their only ultimate daughter.

She silently scoffed.

She knew she couldn't erase her memories from the past as it still comes back to haunt her, but she knew her relatives and intimates would always be watching over her. If they actually did.

"Lyra Everill," she bitterly mumbled her historical name as if it were the worst to say in her mouth.

"You know her?" Michiru suddenly said. Tora slightly jumped and turned towards her.

"Everyone knows her! She's eminently famous in England for her psychic abilities, remember?" Keiko interrupted. "I remember when the news had spread out saying she had lifted a sixty kilogram mountain rock and threw it at a tree with her psychic abilities, the tree had bent over and descended onto a car!" she continued.

"Fortunately no one was inside the car otherwise she'd be considered guilty." Keiko sat down beside Michiru.

"There was different news that said her parents and guardians had been murdered, but she was nowhere in the pile of bodies," Michiru squeaked. "Everyone thought she ran away because she murdered them."

"I also heard that she hunted ghosts .. Or performs ghost investigations at the very least," Michiru continued.

"Michiru, do you think she made a new identity and moved elsewhere?" Keiko said.

Tora flinched. They're getting too close, she thought.

"Keiko, Michiru, want to tell ghost stories after school?" Tora suddenly interrupted.

"Ghost stories?" They both had a horrified expression, but soon turned into sly grins.

"It sounds like fun!" Keiko said.

"Let's gather around in the abandoned third-year Audiovision room!" Michiru suggested.

"All right." Tora returned to her lunch. It was only an apple with a juicebox. She didn't want to buy any full meals due to the fact that she is an orphan and didn't have a suitable job.

Tora always had to use her money wisely such as buying only necessities. It was always her rents first, then food and lastly clean clothes. She had a troublesome life, not the life she used to have where she could always ask her parents or intimates to buy cute toys, or adorable accessories for her.

She sighed. She wished she could have her typical life again, living in her home at England. However, she hoped not to live or visit that mansion of hers ever again. The memories had been scarred in her—bloody murder, gore, shattering and violence was what she heard when she was merely nine, however, she had more horrifying experiences through her ex-job.

Along with the disappearance of her sister in Japan, she had seen it through psychometry even if she was in a youthful age during the time. She had difficulty in telling her intimates as she kept shedding ceaseless tears. However, she managed to tell them within stutters and sobs.

Still, she remembered espying her relatives on their pool of blood with glass shattered around them. She loathed that sight as it had almost appeared whenever she closed her eyes in ways that she couldn't sleep at night. Albeit, she takes sleeping pills nearly every night even if she knew it was dreadful for her body.

. . .

Tora leisurely packed her school essentials. The corner of her eye caught Keiko and Michiru skipping towards her, arm in arm. She sighed. Occasionally they could be so childish whenever they want to be. However, it amused her.

Once she completed packing the last of her items, she turned to them.

"Let's go before we get caught by the staffs," she said and walked out of the classroom with Keiko and Michiru still arm in arm trailing behind her.

Tora walked up the stairs slowly and managed to get out of conversations with teachers and staffs. They had asked her why she was going up to the third story, but eventually Tora told them she had business with a few other educators. Even then, the teachers and staffs were unconvinced. However, they didn't seem to care much as they had let her go.

Once Tora and her silly friends had arrived on the third story, they turned down many hallways. North, East, South, East, North, West and so on.

Eventually they had entered the abandoned third-year AV room. It was dim, even with the curtains apart. The lightings had a few issues, but only minor ones.

"We could use these cushions to sit on," Keiko said and dusted off one of the cushions. She'd found them underneath a shelf filled with cobwebs and grime.

Michiru made a face. "That's disgusting! Who knew how long that had been in there. Two months? Six months? Four years?" She scampered over to the dusted chairs. "These are a lot better." She gestured at it.

"But we would get caught if we were seen above, Michiru! I mean, once we sit on these cushions, our heads are hidden behind this cabinet." Keiko motioned at the tall cabinet nearby the door.

Michiru scoffed. "In other words you're trying to say our heads are towering!"

They both proceeded to bicker. Tora sighed at their childness. It was like watching one of those movies where a little girl had snatched the doll first before the other little girl had got it, then they start a massive sissy fight within insults whenever they got a blow on them.

Tora gathered three penlights and flickered them on. She switched the light off in the room and the two girls who were once bickering, slightly screamed and huddled up together.

"I apologize for frightening you both, but could we begin already?" Tora said and strode towards them.

"Once we figure out what to sit on," Keiko bitterly muttered—mostly directed to Michiru.

"The chai—"

"Let's just have Michiru sit on the chairs and Keiko and I sit onto the cushions," Tora interrupted. "It's not a big deal."

"That's better I suppose." Keiko snatched one more of the cushions and handed it to Tora. Michiru comfortably relaxed into her chair after receiving her penlight from Tora.

Tora dusted her cushion and plopped onto it. Promptly, she flickered her penlight on and off. Keiko and Michiru immediately turned towards her, nearly glaring at her.

"Just trying to get your attention," Tora said. "Let's play rock, paper, scissors and see who'll go first."

Keiko and Michiru nodded. Everyone placed their fists into a circular middle and began playing the reasonable game.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" they all said in unison. Tora and Keiko both had a rock while Michiru had a scissor.

"You're going first, Michiru." Keiko and Tora began to shake their fists up and down.

Afterwards, Tora ended up with a paper while Keiko had a scissor. Keiko raised her fist into the air. "I'm last!" She slyly grinned.

"Yeah, yeah," Michiru said and flickered her penlight. Both girls turned to her. "All right, I've got a fantastic story!"

Tora cleared her throat. "Go on ahead."

. . .

Right after Michiru had ended her ghost story, she turned her penlight off. She continued to slyly grin as she watched Keiko crushing Tora with her entire body. Tora plummeted onto the frigid tile on her back and her face met with her hand as if it was a slapping motion.

"That wasn't a exceedingly terrifying story," Tora honestly said. Michiru's face flushed.

"It was! Look at Keiko, she's shivering like a fish who's run out of water!" Michiru retorted. Keiko glared at her and returned to her seat, shifting as if nothing had ensued.

"All right. My turn now." Tora straightened her skirt out. "Mine isn't a long story, like _Michiru's._" Michiru huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Well, you see—"

"You don't begin a ghost story like that, Tora," Keiko mentioned. Tora murderously glared at her and Keiko felt her spine quiver in fear.

"How do you expect me to start? _"Once upon a time"_? You must be out of your mind," Tora retorted. "And please refrain from interrupting me."

Tora cleared her throat. "One night, a woman and a police officer walked around her 'so-called' haunted mansion. They had been everywhere and were striding down a familiar dim hallway." She paused. Michiru and Keiko leaned closer.

"The policeman decided to return back to the bathroom. And then, she led the policeman with her to it." Tora mischievously smirked. "Following the policeman's instructions, she walked inside and waited to hear _the voice _again."

"Wait, pause! Tora-chan, did you shorten this story?" Keiko curiously asked.

"What do you think? Expect me to tell a ghost story that's a full novel?" Tora said, folding her arms over her virtually flat chest. Keiko sheepishly smiled. "Anyway, let's continue without any disruptions this time."

"The creepy voice said, "Do you want a red mantle?" She then answered, "Yes."" Tora paused and Keiko and Michiru leaned in much too forward this time. She slightly pushed them back. "Then right after she had answered .."

"Let's go on with Keiko's story!" Michiru interrupted and nervously grinned at Tora. Tora glared back and switched her penlight off.

"Coward," Tora whispered to Michiru. Michiru nervously chuckled and clasped her hands together firmly.

"O-oh. But I wanted to know what happened next," Keiko said and scratched the back of her head. "Oh well. Anyway, the story of the old school building, all right?"

"The story of the half-collapsed wooden building?" Michiru said. Keiko nodded in response.

"It's not "collapsed,"" Keiko said. "That's where the demolition stopped. It's cursed." Tora flawlessly lifted up an eyebrow. "In that old school building, students died. There was even a teacher who committed suicide.

"While they were demolishing the west wall, the roof had collapsed. It took the lives of five builders. And then, the demolition stopped." Keiko paused. Michiru nervously gazed at her.

"The demolition was restarted last year in order to reconstruct the gym. But that time, a truck went out of control and drove through the field during class, killing many students." Michiru cringed. Tora yawned and Keiko glared at her.

"What's more: I heard from an upperclassman that if you go by that building at night, a person that glows appears from the windows!" Keiko finished and turned her final penlight off.

I go by that building every morning and night, there's nothing, Tora thought and unconsciously scratched her head—intrigued by the information she had received from Keiko.

"One," Michiru murmured.

"Two." Tora cracked her neck.

"Three," Keiko whispered.

They waited for a moment in the dim classroom. Tora heard the main door squeak open and turned towards it.

"Four."

"Five."

Keiko screamed and waved her arms in the air like a mindless imbecile. Michiru, who apparently also screamed, jumped and clutched onto Tora for her dear life.

Tora groaned at the pain she received from Michiru. The lights from the AV room was abruptly switched on and illuminated the entire area.

Keiko immediately stood up. "W-was that you both just now?" she hurriedly asked.

Michiru turned to look and stood up as well. Tora laid on the frigid floor, her body ached from Michiru's crushing. She placed her arm over her head—blocking out the glaring light from the ceiling—and tightly shut her eyes, absorbing the darkness.

"Did we do something wrong?" one of them said.

Keiko and Michiru collapsed onto the chairs behind them. "I thought I was going to die." Michiru seized her neck.

"Excuse us," the other one said. Tora rubbed her eyes and sat up. "The lights were out, so I—"

"We," the other one interrupted.

"-thought nobody was in here until we heard voices." He finished. Tora turned around a eyed them both.

They were twins.

During the morning, she had met one of them and partially bumped into him. Tora narrowed her eyes and stood.

"I-It's all right!" Michiru and Keiko immediately flushed. Both of them darted towards the twins. They hadn't realized they were twins as they were all focused onto their appearances—their handsomeness.

"What year are you both in?" Keiko asked.

"We're seventeen this year," the smiling twin said. Tora nearly smacked her head. That was definitely not the one who she had bonked into this morning.

"But wait," Tora suspiciously mumbled. "Wouldn't someone normally answer with 'second-year?'"

Fortunately none of them had heard as they were all drowned into that one conversation. Tora sighed and examined their expressions.

The smiling twin was obviously grinning like a fool. The other one could be considered "stoic," but he hoaxed the girls with a fake smile, or apparently in this case, everyone in this particular room.

It didn't reach up to his eyes, that's what made his smile fake. Tora knew that sort of smile as she cozens everyone with the identical smile as well when she was younger after her sister had disappeared.

"Do you mind telling us your name?" Keiko exclaimed. Tora advanced slightly.

"Shibuya." The smiling one continued to sheepishly smile. "Shibuya Kazuto and Kazuya."

"May I ask what you're both doing here?" Tora raised an eyebrow. Everyone stared at her—especially the girls, they were in disbelief as she sounded slightly impolite.

"We've came to pick up a few items," the stoic one said. He continued to peer at her until he walked over to the shelves.

"Excuse us for the inconvenience." The smiling twin followed his stoic twin.

"Michiru, Keiko, I'm heading home for now. I've got a few things to take care of," Tora purposely half-lied. She seized her school bag and practically ran out of the AV room.

Everyone stared at the dim doorway. "Keiko, what's up with her?" Michiru nudged her. Keiko shrugged and skipped over to the twins to help out.

. . .

Tora sauntered down an unfamiliar dark street. Her school bag partially falling off her loose fingers. She lifted up her cuff and looked at her wristwatch. It was six thirty-two in the evening. She sighed.

"Another night to go search," she muttered and sighed again.

It had been days, months and years for her to search for her own sister. She wanted to know where the lake was—obviously, she wasn't born in Japan and didn't know many streets no matter how long she stayed in this country. She didn't bother to go on tour around Japan, it was evidently futile for her.

Tora was oblivious to the two people trailing behind her. Finally, she came into a abrupt halt and deeply sighed for the third time.

"I honestly wonder why you're sighing so much, it's hurting my ears."

Tora promptly turned around—virtually twisting her ankle at that, but managed to steady herself.

"Why are you both here?" She peered at the twins. They both eerily returned her stare, it was quite frightening to say the least.

"My brother had wanted to ask you a few questions," the smiling one spoke up.

"I see," she replied. She cleared her throat. "Hurry up, I have some business to do."

"What do you know about the old school building?" The stoic one finally said after what seems like eternity.

That's all he wanted to ask me? She thought. Are they investigating there?

"A few details that aren't paramount," she lied. "Who wants to tell some stranger about that old building?" she mumbled to herself. Fortunately they didn't hear.

"What exactly are the details—that you name, aren't important?" He advanced closer to her, however, she was unaware of it as she was too lost in thought. "Are you paying attention?"

She slightly jumped and fixed herself. "The details are not important like I had said, so you need not to know them." Tora paused for a moment. "Details that aren't significant don't need to be mentioned, or do you not know that, Shibuya-san?"

She sounds extremely like Lyra Everill, Kazuto thought and continued to stare her down.

"What's your name?" Kazuto said and walked up beside his stoic twin.

"Ly—Tora. Ito Tora." She fixed her reply. It was fortunate that none of them had caught the abrupt mistake. She eyed Kazuto suspiciously.

"Ito-san, have I met you somewhere?" Kazuto scanned her appearance. She looks immensely like Lyra Everill as well, he thought.

Tora scampered closer to the twins, most directly to Kazuto. She immediately tip-toed and leaned into his face, their noses virtually touching. She narrowed her eyes. Kazuto's pupils widened and he promptly backed away. Kazuya raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing to my brother, Ito-san?" Kazuya asked, his temper rising into irritation.

Tora ignored him. "I believe we have not met before. Perhaps you need to fix your vision, Shibuya-san," she hastily said. Kazuto's vein popped as his eyebrow twitched. She turned as her midnight black hair bounced along her movement. She stared at Kazuya directly past his shoulder.

She disrelished looking at people in the eyes, however, she was always unaware of it when she had looked directly into them.

"Are there any more questions?" She stiffly tilted her head to the left. Kazuya snubbed her and continued to gaze directly into her eyes as if he was too drowned in thought.

Her eyes look exactly like the Everill's family, he thought as he peered at the crystal-blue around a speck of hazel.

And the Everill's family have extremely rare eyes, he pondered—getting lost into her ideal eyes.

"If that's all, I'll be going now," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. She waved them goodbye and turned around, striding down the partially pitch-black streets. The streetlights began to flicker on beside her.

She sighed.

Little did she know, the two twins were gazing at her striding form down the streets.

* * *

**Author's Message:**

Err .. Anyway, before you start to review**(Whether you do or not)**, I just wanted to say that this story was typed long ago and there may be mistakes here and there, and urmm.. I wanted to post it up if you just want me to continue it or not! I'm curious if you guys do enjoy it .. Really. I'm not certain if I could keep everyone's characters in place, you know. Either way, I'm just extremely curious if you guys do like this story so far. Also, I do realize that certain people**(Certain?! I mean lots!)** sort of "hate" OCs, but to be honest, I'm trying my best to not make it too fake .. If that's the correct word to use. Eh. But surely you don't mind reading this kind of fanfic?

What I'm trying to say is, I don't exactly like Mai's character**(her overly-childness .. If that's what you describe her when she's all .. jagiddy?)** And I immensely want to create this type of story with this type of character. And before you begin thinking, "She's so Mary Sue!" Or something along those lines, she's not. Really. She's not. She's going to meet the worst conflicts**(If I can make them interesting)** in her life, and she won't be hit on. Although .. She's like .. Naru .. I can tell you that, but lower! Anyways, just tell me what you think**(If you want to, I'm not forcing you to!) **about this story .. what I can change and all that .. That's all!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

**T**ossing her black cap onto her kitchen island, she sauntered towards her sofa and promptly collapsed onto it.

"Arrghh," she made a noise. Tora uncovered her face from her filthy hands. She gazed at the nightsky out of her balcony. "When will I ever find you?"

She gently closed her eyes—her stomach growling from the immediate starvation. She didn't have food at her apartment, and there was no way she would go out and buy dinner.

She crawled over to her side table and turned the lamp on. It illuminated the dim apartment. She gently took a hold of the picture frame of her entire relatives and intimates.

"I miss you," she mumbled and fell into a deep slumber—dropping the picture frame next to her head.

. . .

May

Thursday

She groaned from the sound of strident knocking on her apartment door. She rubbed her tight and drowsy eyes before leisurely opening them. The morning light promptly shone into her vision and she automatically cursed.

The person who knocked on the door constantly repeated their deeds. It was irritating for her to say the least—obviously because it was in the morning.

She looked at her clock—softly ticking—it was ten forty-five. She nearly shrieked as she realized she was late for school.

She cursed again. She sat up and looked at her door that was being constantly knocked on—louder than each time. She strode towards it and peered into the peephole.

It was them.

She stumbled backwards and held the kitchen counter for support. Why would they be here? And how did they know where she lived? Her insides screamed at her to clean herself up first and jump out of her nine stories high apartment from the balcony.

Obviously she wouldn't live after that.

What a stupid idea, she thought and suddenly snapped back to her door.

"Wait a moment!" she nearly yelled. Tora scurried to her bedroom and seized a few hygienic clothes from her closet. She stripped herself and dressed into the clean clothes before rushing into her bathroom.

Her eyebrow twitched as she saw how disordered she was and how her hair was unkempt. She snatched a brush and roughly combed through her hair.

She darted to the front door and stepped into a pair of old running shoes. Tora grabbed a backpack filled with necessities—along with the picture of her family—and scampered to her balcony. She unlocked it and stepped outside, the wind blew her hair as it went cuckoo everywhere.

She closed the balcony door and noticed how her apartment door was already going to explode. She started to tremble and thoughts flew into her mind rapidly, hence, she couldn't comprehend them.

Promptly she lifted herself from the balcony ground to the edge of the railing. She looked down and gulped at how far up she was and how far down the ground was below.

Damn was she at a extent.

She crouched down and started to leisurely climb downwards to her neighbor's balcony below. Her feet were thrust against the wall she was clutching onto. Her hands trembled as she released one of them from the railing and to the edge of the wall. She repeated her actions with her opposite hand.

Tora looked underneath and noticed that her neighbor's balcony wasn't too far down below. She thought she could just let herself go, but had seen the railing right above her bottom.

"No, thank you." Tora looked outside of the world and realized people had gathered around to watch her. She cursed for the third time of the day. "Do your own damn business."

She had no idea, not a single clue on how to climb down the wall she was grasping on for her dear life. Tora sighed.

"Please get back up!" She heard someone shout out.

"Don't risk your life!" Another person cried out. Tora heard the sirens at a distant and she frantically searched for a clue on how to climb down. She then noticed there was a piece of brick sticking out on her left.

It wasn't huge or anything, but it was enough to get her slightly lower than before. Tora stepped onto it and nothing happened. She looked underneath her again and noticed that her behind was no longer above the railing, instead it was just above the balcony land.

"Tora-san, what are you doing?!" She heard one of her schoolmates scream out.

"Don't rid your life, Tora-san!"

"Please ponder of how your relatives and others are going to feel before you do it!"

Tora virtually smacked her head with her palm. They reckoned she was suiciding. However, she didn't mind if she accidentally did slip off. She didn't have any relatives that had to worry over her—her friends would disregard her death as well.

"How silly," she said and released her grip from the wall.

She fell.

. . .

And landed on the balcony ground. She heard nearly everyone gasp when she was falling. I'm not idiotic to get rid of my life, she thought.

Tora looked out of the balcony again and realized people were still watching. They were possibly wondering what she was actually doing.

She sighed and turned to look at the glass door behind her. She gently tugged it sideways as it opened.

"It's not locked?" She tilted her head and proceeded to tug the door further. She stepped inside and looked around.

Everything was not any different from her apartment, but the hallway was on the opposite side. The furniture were completely different and it was all colorful. The apartment was silent.

Stupid colors, she thought.

She crossed the lounge room to the front door. She unlocked it and opened it. Tora took a splendid look outside of the hallways.

Clear.

She stepped out and partially ran to the elevators. She immediately stepped in and pressed the lobby button. She patiently waited for her destination.

. . .

Once she stepped out to the lobby, she saw the group of men that she was in debt to again. They were speaking to the secretary—most likely threatening him at the very least.

Her insides screamed at her to fight them off, but her mind had said she couldn't beat five muscular men—five against one? That's extreme.

Tora decided to run. Before she had took a step, one of the men turned around and heeded her.

"She's right there!" he said as his other members abruptly turned around in unison.

"Get her!" They all darted towards her. They started throwing punches, however, Tora smoothly dodged them.

Upon seeing the front entrance vacant of men, she promptly ran outside with the men trailing behind.

Once she was running out of the apartment building, the people who once gathered there gave her strange looks.

"What is she doing?" one of them said.

"Why are there five men running after her?"

"Where are the police?!"

Tora wondered where the police were at as well. She proceeded to run down the Shibuya street.

Through alleys, lonely streets, parks and most of all, busy streets with people looking at her strangely.

Tora realized she was running towards the old school building. Perhaps I could go in there? She thought. However, unbeknownst to her, it was a terrible idea.

She noticed a black van in front of the path of the old school building—but hastily disregarded it. She hurriedly ran inside the old school building and abruptly halted upon seeing a camera facing her. The men behind her slowed down their pace and nearly caught her shoulder had she not started running again.

Tora tripped over a piece of a sticking wood with a pin nail rolling underneath the camera stand. She landed on her front first as the men firmly landed on her like a football game. She made a noise of pain from the weight.

"What do you want?" She roughly twisted her wrist against one of the men's hard grip.

"You were suppose to pay us back two weeks ago. Where is the money?" One of the men—possibly the leader—who was completely hovering over everyone said.

"I didn't have the time to gather money. I had told you that school is taking up my time!" Tora growled out and struggled underneath the bodies of four men.

"We gave you two weeks. Two weeks with holidays and weekends from school! How can you not search for money!?" He roughly kicked her side. Tora silently cursed at the pain from her ribs.

"Look, give me another week and I'll assure you I'll get it on time!" Tora said. "And can we talk properly? Your men are so stout!"

The leader growled and kicked her ribs denser than before. Tora grunted in pain, however, she didn't shed any tears.

"I'll give you three more days. By the time I get by your apartment, you better give me it!" he spat and firmly backhanded her. "Let's go!"

The men rose and followed him out, not before kicking Tora once or twice in anger. Tora gave a breath of relief. She curled up in a ball and caressed her sides that are aching in immense pain.

"Damn them," she muttered and leisurely sat up. She winced at the pains of her body, her cheek stinging from the slap she had received from the man. Tora stood and her attention was caught when the camera was unstable; shaking side to side.

She slowly crouched down and reached out to balance it out.

"Don't touch it!" someone shouted. Tora slightly jumped and stumbled back towards one of the shoe shelves. It swayed side-to-side and began to fall over on top of her.

Her pupils widened and her entire body froze. Suddenly, she had felt an impact—most likely a push. She roughly rolled over to the other end of the wall and groaned at the aching pain on her ribs again. She curled into a ball.

Tora was certain that at least three of her ribs were bruised or fractured. Along with her cheek, perhaps it had a red mark or a bruise that was arising. Possibly her entire body was filled with surprising bruises. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pain was not yet fading. On the contrary, it grew more extreme. She silently cursed again.

"Lin!" She heard someone yell. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," he growled out—attempting to stand up. The person helped him out.

"What happened here?" She heard another voice, however, it was duller.

It can't be them, she thought. How can you meet the same people over and over again? She winced and hugged her sides tighter.

"Noll, there's another person!" the person panickingly said.

"She looks fine," the other one replied. "Apparently she looks like she's just resting."

"I pushed her out of the way," a deeper voice said—perhaps Lin.

"Huh?"

"She was close to touching the camera. She stumbled into the shelf and I pushed her out of the way."

"Lin, you_ pushed _her out of the way," the person with the lighter tone said.

"Yes."

"You _pushed _her, so at least she has to be injured in some way seeing her curling up like a ball like that. Wait a minute, that looks like Ito-san."

Damn, it is them, she thought—cringing at her pain further. But Lin ..?

"Is she bleeding?"

"There's droplets of it."

"That's obvious, idiots."

"Let's see if she's all right."

"I have to take Lin to a clinic."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"You have a sprained ankle and a constant bleeding forehead."

"Continue on."

"You could faint along the way and damage your ankle further."

"I'm fine."

"Let's just check if Ito-san is fine!"

"You can do that. I'm bringing Lin to the clinic."

"You're so stubborn. I can go there myself."

"People will think you're a maniac."

"And people will think you're a maniac for helping me."

The trio continued to blabber as Tora released her sides. The pain still lingered there, but she dismissed it. She didn't have time to go to school, nor was she in the mood to—even with the state she's in.

She leisurely stood and peered at the three men. She stared longer at Lin as she felt she had met him before, and observed how dreadful his injuries were.

Terribly sprained ankle.

Check.

Constant bleeding from forehead—and that he does _not _act like it's a big deal.

Check.

Leaning onto one of the twins.

Check?

"Are you all right?" she interrupted the trio's conversation. The three men turned to her and noticed how injured she was. At least in the same condition as Lin.

He ignored her, instead he peered at her with his narrowed eyes. Tora returned the same gesture. Lin turned around and limped out of the building.

"Sorry, Ito-san! He's like that with—"

A _smack!_ sound was heard.

"He's just heading towards the clinic," the stoic one bluntly interrupted after hitting his twin.

"Hn." Tora narrowed her eyes. She advanced towards the fallen shelf and gently pulled it up—wincing at her pain. She looked underneath of the shelf and found a broken camera. "Is that yours?"

"Yes," Kazuya said.

"We are investigating thi—"

"Kazuto, you're talking too much," Kazuya said. His twin huffed.

"I am terribly sorry for breaking your camera," Tora apologized and bowed her head. "I have to get going now."

Just as Tora walked past Kazuya, she stumbled and had fell. She waited for the impact, but she felt none. Instead, she felt an arm wrap around her waist.

"You're a klutz," Kazuya said. However, it was not the stoic one whose arm was around Tora's waist.

"Kazuya, you could've helped her!" Kazuto complained and steadied the said girl. "I mean, isn't Ito-san injured?"

"I could only see a bruise and a small cut on her cheek. Nothing more," Kazuya said and walked out of the old school building. Tora blinked thrice, not realizing what had happened.

"I apologize on my brother's behalf. He must be in a terrible mood because of his broken camera," Kazuto said. Tora nodded. "I must be going. Lin might be still limping towards the clinic!"

Tora watched him dash outside, right behind his twin. He placed his arm over his brother's shoulder as they both sauntered towards the black van.

"Lin.." she whispered. "Why do you seem so familiar?"

. . .

"Ouch!" Tora glared at her cheek from her reflection of the mirror. She had been tending her cheek, however, whenever she puts pressure onto it, it immediately sets into pain. She sighed and placed the medication down next to the running sink.

Tora peered at herself in the mirror. She furrowed her eyebrows and irritatedly shoved the first-aid kit from the counter onto the cold tile. Medicine pills, medication bottles and more therapy items spilled out of it.

She lifted her oversized navy dress shirt up and stared at the forming large bruise on her side.

"Going to the clinic costs a high amount of cash," she mumbled. She softly swept her fingers over the ribs and felt soreness run through it. "It'll surely get worse in two days."

Tora sighed and gently yanked her shirt back down. "If it's for my health, it'll be worth it." She turned off the sink. She sauntered to her lounge room and snatched her hooded black trench coat from the sofa. She began placing her arms into it and wrapped a black scarf around her neck.

She strode to her front door that had been fixed in a matter of hours while she was gone. She had to pay for the bill when she had returned. The door still had a few cracks here and there, but only minor ones. She didn't mind.

Tora walked towards the elevator and patiently waited for the doors to slide open. She had a few people standing beside her and they were constantly glancing at her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Is there anything wrong?" She peered at them emotionally.

"N-no!" a dirty-blonde hair girl spoke. She nervously ran into the elevator just after it had opened. Tora and the rest of the people walked inside. However, the other people were just as frantic as the said dirty-blonde.

"I honestly want to know why you people are glancing at me quite in a panicky expression," Tora said, staring at the ceiling.

"Er.." a slim man started. Tora patiently waited and purposely pressed the button to the third floor. "Why'd you press that!?" he yelled.

"I just want an explanation. Is that an issue?" Tora slanted her head to the right, her cold crystal-blue hazel with a glow of turquoise eyes boring into theirs.

"It's just that you look a lot like the English Lyra Everill!" they all said simultaneously, squeezing their eyes shut as if they were watching a horror movie.

"Really .." Tora muttered. "That's fantastic to know. I must thank you for your compliment," she sarcastically said and pressed the foyer button.

An old man glared at her as she icily glared back. He felt his spine shiver and returned to peering at the doors.

"Y-you're not angry?" the said petite girl stuttered. Tora shook her head just as the doors slid to open.

Because I _am_ Lyra Everill, she mentally said and strode out of the elevator.

Little did she know that the people were staring at her back.

. . .

She walked into the doctor's clinic room. She sat down onto a chair as she waited for the doctor to come. Tora observed around and nothing had interested her except the disturbing smell that was usually in hospitals. She didn't have a liking towards it, but a problematic interest to it. She didn't know what or why.

Tora shifted and a woman walked in.

"Hello! Was it Ito-san?" she cheerfully asked and shut the door with her foot behind her. She sat onto a chair in front of Tora and began reading papers on her clipboard.

"Yes."

"My name is Shimizu Ume, I'll be your doctor for today." She smiled and flipped through pages of colorful papers. Tora nodded. "I'll begin asking you a few questions." Tora nodded again.

"Have you had any diabetes, diseases or relations to those?"

"No."

"Have you entered the state of having high blood pressure, high blood circulation or any relations to those?"

"No."

"Have you ever in your life smoked by any chance?"

"No."

"Do you have any allergies? Or at least come upon them?"

"No."

"All right. Let me check your condition right now. It'll only take a moment." She placed her clipboard aside. "Please unbutton your shirt." Tora complied and unbutton the top three buttons on her dress shirt.

The doctor gently grabbed a stethoscope and placed it over to Tora's chest on the left area. She listened to her heart beat. "It's not terrible yet not healthy. It seems like you've got a few injuries, like your cheek I could possibly say," she said and removed her stethoscope.

"I do have injuries. Especially my ribs," Tora said and removed her trench coat along with her scarf. She unbuttoned her dress shirt and let the sleeves slide down her arms.

"Oh my," Shimizu gasped. "I'll have to give you treatment for that right away." She started. "I'll have to x-ray your ribs to see if they had been fractured. If they are, then my only advice is to go to the hospital straight away as it will only get worse in days time. If it is not and is only bruised, then I will provide you medicine and you won't be needing to worry about it."

"All right," Tora replied. "Do I get the x-ray now?"

"Yes, of course. Follow me out." Shimizu walked out of her room with Tora trailing behind.

As they entered into a room, it had many lightings and a flat white tile bed in the middle.

"Please strip down to your underclothes. It'll just be a x-ray from your hip to your chest." Tora nodded. "I'll be in the operation room, once you are done undressing, please go lie down onto the tile bed. The x-ray would be very quick." She smiled and left.

Tora stripped down to her underclothes and stared at her blue, purple bruised side. She made a face and walked to the tile bed. She lied down onto it with her face facing the ceiling. She closed her eyes.

. . .

She placed her last clothing on and stared at the doctor who inspected the results.

"All right, it's nothing serious and all. There were only two lightly bruised ribs and two other extreme bruised ribs. But then again, it's nothing overly severe. My assistant will provide the medicine you'll need for the next few weeks. If it's beginning to feel fine, you can quit taking the medication" she said.

"However, if it is getting worse or is acting up again, please come straight away here or call our clinic." She handed Tora her profession card. "I'll provide you a more severe medicine." She smiled. Tora nodded.

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem, and the cost is up in the lobby. My assistant will hand you your medication."

Tora thankfully bowed and winced at the pain. She left the room and down the hallway to the foyer. She went up to the counter and received her medication after paying the cost.

She walked down the dark streets with the streetlights flickering on beside her. She deeply sighed. "I really need a job."

. . .

Friday

"Tora-chan! Where were you yester—" Michiru abruptly halted from her running. Keiko bumped into her. "What happened to your cheek, Tora-chan!? Did someone beat you up? Abuse from your relatives?" she shrieked out after seeing her bandaged cheek. The bruise was terribly larger than the bandage, therefore, it could be seen. Keiko peaked behind her head and gasped.

"No, nothing like that. I've just had an unfortunate day yesterday. That's all, nothing more, nothing less." Tora stood up from her seat.

School had just ended for everyone and they were all practically packing up to leave.

"Ne, ne, you know the two Shibuya-senpai's?" Keiko said and Michiru squealed with her face flushed.

"They're coming to tell ghost stories with us!" Michiru jumped up and down.

"I don't feel like telling ghost stories today. I'm sorry, Michiru," Tora said and lifted her school bag up to her shoulder.

"Eh?! Why? This is the only opportunity for us to gather around! I mean, ghost stories with two handsome boys!" Michiru whined.

"Ghost stories, is it?" The three girls turned to the voice. "That's what you're doing every day?"

"What?" Keiko and Michiru said in unison. Tora proceeded to boredly stare.

"No wonder I've been having headaches every day since I came here. I'm sensitive to spirits." Kuroda, the student with two braided hair and wore glasses said. "So whenever spirits gather, I get headaches."

"That's _our _fault?" Keiko said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Of course it is! Low level spirits gather when you tell ghost stories, then they attract stronger spirits. And if that happens, there'll be trouble!" Kuroda said with a hint of annoyance. "So you shouldn't think of ghost stories as "fun.""

"Kuroda," Tora leisurely began. All girls turned to her, Kuroda's glasses reflecting the sun's light. "If you could sense spirits, do you sense _anything _in the old school building then?"

"Tora-san, you .. !" Kuroda dared to step forward. "If you're the one who suggested and responsible to tell ghost stories—"

"Please answer my question," Tora interrupted, inspecting her unembellished nails.

"What?"

"Whether you could truly sense spirits."

"I _can _sense spirits!" Kuroda took another step forward. "Spirits of those who died during World War II have gathered in the old school building." She paused. "I'm certain that that was once a hospital, I've seen plenty of injured spirits."

Tora placed a finger to her unbandaged cheek. "I had no idea there was a hospital during World War II, I only heard from the school that there _was _a club of medics, but no such thing of a hospital." Keiko and Michiru stared at Tora in belief. They had no clue their friend was an advanced debater.

Kuroda growled. "I wouldn't know!" She turned away. "Anyway, I've just seen them. Those who can't see spirits wouldn't understand!"

"I realize that. However, you wouldn't know if I could see spirits. Perhaps there is one hovering over your head, or possibly there's one behind Keiko and Michiru." Her friends quivered and promptly turned around.

Suddenly there was the sound of clapping. "Great job, Ito-san!" Tora turned and saw the twins by the doorway. It was the smiling one who complimented her. The stoic one impassively peered at her.

Kuroda made a noise and partially ran out of the room. Tora scratched her head.

"Well .." she started.

"Shibuya-senpai, I think we should cancel the activites for today," Michiru nervously said. Kazuto leaned onto his twin's shoulder.

"I agree, I don't feel up to it," Keiko said and picked her school bag up. Tora silently cleared her throat.

"I see," Kazuya said. "Then perhaps some other time." Kazuto grinned while Kazuya looked like he wanted to smack his head again. They both began to walk out just as Kazuya halted eventually making Kazuto bump into him.

"Ito-san, was it?" Kazuya said and turned to look at her. Tora mentally cringed just as her friends perked their ears out to eavesdrop. "Do you have some spare time?"

Tora stared into his dark sapphire eyes deeply. It sparked a light, but quickly disappeared. " .. Yes," she leisurely replied and began walking towards him. Her friends looked as if they were envious, but continued to pack their school essentials.

. . .

"Is Lin-san all right?" Tora broke the awkward silence between her and the twins that were walking ahead of her in the long corridor. She didn't care as she gazed outside of the afternoon sky through the hallway windows.

"Apparently he had sprained his left ankle badly. However, his head is all right so you won't get charged," Kazuto exclaimed and smiled at her.

Tora's eye twitched in irritation. She nodded. "Tell him I'm sorry," she silently said. Kazuto bobbed his head and continued to walk beside his twin. "How do you know him?"

"Assistant," Kazuya spoke.

"Be more specific."

"He's the assistant; I'm the boss." He paused and turned. Kazuto followed suit. "And that assistant can't move. You'll take full responsibilty for it."

Nobody told him to push me out of the way, she bitterly thought and nearly rolled her eyes.

"The camera is broken like you had seen. He attempted to stop you from touching it, however, it ended up terribly," Kazuto continued for his twin.

These guys are certainly telepathic, she thought and narrowed her eyes further.

"How much is the camera?" She paused and thought for a moment. "And before you start saying "You'll have to pay me back," or "Be Lin-san's replacement," the camera is surely insured, is it not?"

Kazuto nudged his brother. In return, Kazuya glared at him. "You wouldn't know if it is." He turned. "You look somewhat penurious so compensating me would be quite impossible for you. You only have one choice to repay for my injured assistant."

Tora tilted her head in confusion. "Which is?"

"Work as my assistant for the time being as you had said before." He continued to stride down the corridor. Kazuto followed suit.

Tora was boring holes into their backs. "I don't work for nothing," she muttered. "And I don't have time to be working as a replacement. I've got a life, and have to take care of my foolish consequence in two more days along with searching for _her_." She sauntered after them.

"What work do you usually do?" she asked.

"Ghost hunting," Kazuto replied and grinned. Tora leisurely nodded.

"No wonder you wanted to tell ghost stories with my friends," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"We've received a request from the principal to investigate the old school building. Kazuto and I are with Shibuya Psychic Research," Kazuya bluntly said as if he had heard nothing from the two.

"Psychic Research .." Tora mumbled sadly.

"Is that supposed to be a question?" Kazuya said. Tora flawlessly raised an eyebrow.

"Psychic as in "shinrei", and research as in "chousho."" Kazuto whispered to her.

"I already know that," Tora muttered. Kazuto lightly snorted and she icily glared at him. He scurried up beside his twin.

"In other words, Shibuya Psychic Research investigates supernatural phenomena." Kazuya abruptly turned around again with an raised eyebrow. "I'm the manager; Kazuto's a so-called extra manager."

Kazuto huffed.

Tora curled her fingers and slightly nodded.

* * *

**More news from me!** The biggest, weirdest author ever alive! Jokes. Erm.. Anyway, I'm here to tell you people that I've only got three chapters written down long ago and so I'm posting them up .. Just tell me what you think before I go writing/posting more chapters and CRY (wahh!) if people don't read it ! Gaefjkhlef anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter either way.

Sorry for the minor mistakes!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

**T**ora tip-toed over Kazuto and Kazuya to peer inside the back of the black van. She had been curious what has been reposing inside there, and this was the time she could see. "A week ago, your school's principal came by our office. He'd said there were eerie rumors about the old building being cursed," Kazuya said.

Kazuto heaved a few equipment from the van. "Align your arms in front of you," he said. Tora obeyed.

Just as she had done that, he had dropped the equipment into her arms eventually flexing them out. Tora groaned from the weight of it and struggled to lift it. Kazuto trod to his brother's side and peered over his shoulder. He watched him operate programs, and rapidly typed on his laptop.

"Kazuto and I've done some research on what had happened," he continued. "The old school building was used as part of the school until eighteen years ago. Since that time, every year, one or two deaths have been confirmed.

"And the case about the demolition of the west wall, the accident where the roof had collapsed, apparently did occur."

Kazuto seized a few equipment. "However, there is no truth about the workers being killed. Only five people were injured by what we had researched," he continued for his brother. "Come on, Tora."

Tora rapidly blinked when he had called her by her first name without any honorifics. However, she disregarded it as she had not cared—evidently because that is her hoax name and she had tamed it herself.

The twins strode inside the old school building with Tora trailing behind them, still struggling with the massive equipment on her petite arms.

"The rationale for stopping was a worker's negligence," Kazuya said as they walked down a dim corridor. Tora had stepped onto a creaking wood and hesitately halted before proceeding to walk again. "The original purpose of the project was to destroy a third of the building which they had did.

"It is accurate that a teacher did commit suicide here. And that is too part of the reason." Kazuya turned down a corner with Kazuto beside him. Tora proceeded to trail behind them.

"And the runaway truck last year had some part with it. Moreover, work was cancelled at the time," Kazuto continued for his brother. "This may also have been partially due to the rumor." He looked back at her, his lips slightly turning upwards into a soft smile.

The twins strode into a room, full of dust and grime. Tora walked in right after, still struggling with the equipment she was clutching onto, but managed to steady herself. "As far as Kazuto's and I's research manifests, there's nothing that takes these stories beyond the level of rumors." Kazuya paused and placed his equipment down onto a vacant table. Kazuto followed suit. "As menacing as it all sounds, each occurrence had a lucid part." Tora nodded. "This will be base."

"All right," Tora said and practically threw the equipment onto the table from her small, aching arms. Kazuya narrowed his sapphire eyes at her.

"Connect the shelves together. Kazuto and I'll begin bringing the equipment in." Kazuto partially galloped out of the room with Kazuya still peering at the midnight black-haired girl.

"You expect me to remain here by myself?" Tora somewhat complained.

"Do you want to bring in the equipment then? I'll assure you that several of it weighs up to forty kilograms." He nearly smirked. Tora tapered her eyes.

"You think a girl as petite as me can't carry a forty kilogram equipment?" Tora glared at him, folding her arms over her virtually flat chest.

"Kazuto, place the shelves together. I've decided Tora will be bringing the equipment in with me." Kazuya walked out of the room with Tora trailing behind. Just as she and the said other twin passed by together, he had stuck out his lower lip, apparently pouting.

. . .

The trio placed the monitors onto the shelves. Kazuto had been carrying the last one and was lifting it up to the tallest ledge; it wasn't tough for him to say the least as he has concealed muscles hidden in his muddy green blazer sleeves.

Tora sighed and propped herself against a table, observing every individual detail on each equipment. She had those similar apparatus' when she was in England. Back in the past when she was only seven, she'd been hunting ghosts with her advanced squad and her flawless medium sister who was apparently the same age as her.

She was her _perfect _identical as the others would say. She had her same flowy, midnight black-hair—cutten neck length so people could define them apart. Her twin had those similar eyes she had, however, instead of a hazel speck in the middle, it was replaced with grey.

Tora was envious of her.

Occasionally her identical had received further more attention than her. Whenever she had spoke to her mother about it, she'd always say, "Don't worry about it, honey. We all love you equally as her."

Who was she kidding?

In the end, she had overheard her parents in her father's study room. She heard _them _complimenting how talented her identical is, how she could _play_ so many instruments, how she could _croon_ so well, and how she always had _smiled _brightly even whenever she was depressed deep inside, along with loving people how they were, even if they had made wrong choices or brutal mistakes.

But when her mother had started speaking about her, she had said she was only being spoiled and was not doing anything convenient or particular for the family and that her life was only full of spiritual phenomenon.

Her mother had spoken about her job, solemnly saying to her husband, "We should close the PEI office. It's carrying her life away and Ava could even get murdered. She should have a more appropriate job regardless of her youthful age."

How she had despised her mother saying that. She'd never thought that even how young she was, her mother had never loved or cared her as much as her identical.

Apart from her mother, her father had always loved the identicals equally. He had appreciated Tora how she was, and how she was always studying and focused on her education. He appreciated how she naturally placed her job, education, goals and all those work first instead of relationships and all that teenager nonsense—even if she wasn't a teenager.

However, she still loved them dearly no matter what they said about her.

Tora snapped out of her past thoughts. She had deemed them as dreadful past events, despite even if her parents did show a bit of intimacy towards her when she was only two.

"Do you know how to use all of these equipment?" she asked and walked towards one of the nightvision cameras. She softly swept her fingers over it.

"Don't touch that," Kazuya stiffly said. "I don't want you fracturing any more cameras."

Tora huffed. As if she would ever break one again—of course, that Lin man was merely being doltish because he probably thought her petite hands could break such a strong camera.

"So answer my question, Shibuya-san," Tora said and gazed directly in a blank monitor screen.

"Of course I do. Your mind and mine are different," Kazuya said and connected cables together. His twin Kazuto, plugged the wires into the old, rusty outlets.

"I'm certain my IQ level is as high as yours," she bitterly muttered. Kazuya turned and flawlessly raised an eyebrow at her.

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing, I said nothing." She unexpectedly whistled innocently. Kazuto grinned and nudged his brother, whispering a few short sentences in his ear that couldn't be heard from the distance she was at. Tora watched Kazuya's face as it went rigid while his twin continued to grin foolishly.

"Kazuto—" Kazuto nudged his twin. Kazuya's brow twitched. "_I, _apparently, wanted to ask you if you'd like a drive home seeing that it is quite _dark _out right now." Kazuya unconsciously gestured towards the windows. On the contrary, it was only sunset. The sky contained an orange, yellow color with a hue of blue and purple slightly turning dusky above.

Tora waved her hand. "It's all right. I'm fine with walking," she said. "Even at night." The twins leisurely nodded, unconvinced that she would be all right walking in the dark. However, they shrugged it off. "May I ask why you are hunting ghosts?"

"Because there was a need for it," Kazuto answered. He propped himself up onto a vacant table and leaned his elbows onto his knees, his hands braced his chin to stay up.

"Isn't there cases that you couldn't solve or perhaps succeed?"

"There have been none." Kazuya walked over to the monitors, not before peering at the said girl. "Kazuto and I are competent at what we do."

"Hm." Tora nearly smacked Kazuya's head for being so vain. "Even with you being so conceited and all, and Kazuto being completely on the contrary, you both are not only prepossessing, but according to your researches and brain systems, you're exceedingly sharp-witted and intelligent as well." Kazuya turned to look at her.

"Do you honestly think we're irresistible?" he said. Tora peered into his eyes that once sparked a small light before it returned to its stoic expression.

"Not irresistible to me, but good looking. Are you not? Everyone was making an ado over it. However, even if you both _are _good looking, nobody had foreseen your actual attitude, apart from Kazuto that is," Tora muttered the last bit. Unfortunately Kazuto had heard it as he had burst into laughter.

"Hm .." Kazuya started and ignored his twin's sudden burst of laughter. "You don't have terrible taste." Tora's eye unconsciously twitched after he had turned back to the monitors.

"Not only are you good looking, intelligent and sharp-witted, the bitter attitude to others, you surely have the _I'm number one! _screaming out of you," Tora mumbled and Kazuto proceeded to listen and laugh uncontrollably on the table. Kazuya turned to look at her again. "From now on, I'm labelling you as Naru-chan, the self-conceited, inconsiderate, arrogant and egotistical narcissist." She shook her head in disbelief.

Kazuto wiped the tears off the corner of his eyes. He cleared his throat. "But wouldn't he be suspicious?" he whispered to the said girl. Her eyes darted to the side, catching his face that was once close to hers.

"Of?"

"Somehow that you thought of that particular nickname for him in just a matter of .." He trailed off and glanced at his wristwatch. "Thirty-two minutes and one second."

"I could explain it to him."

"He'd think it's silly."

"But it's quite fitting for him, and you aren't objecting."

"Eh," Kazuto snickered.

"Stop blabbering and slacking off. Get to work." Kazuya glared at them. "I'd like Tora to place the cameras around the building. Kazuto, prepare the monitors as quick as you can for this girl is swift at running around." He gestured at the girl.

Tora sighed and leaped off the table before gathering four camera stands in her arms. She didn't consider glancing at them once more as she had exited the room.

The twins stared at her disappearance through the gaping old door.

"I'm beginning to believe she's truly Lyra," Kazuto solemnly said and started the monitors. He placed the headphones on his neck. "She's sharp-witted and intelligent, like you. She doesn't smile much which is not any different from you as well."

"Comparing attitudes and emotions does not, by any chance, confirm anything," Kazuya retorted.

"Her appearance does. Remember the first interview she had got and it had been spreaded worldwide?" Kazuto stopped and looked up to his identical brother. "If you had seen closely, you would notice how striking her eyes are rather from a far view.

"From the interview, Lyra had the same exact eyes as Tora's—same hue, same contrast and all that. Comparing them both, you'd see the exact thing which is odd, is it not?

"I'm just saying, that if Tora is _really _Lyra, what is she doing in Japan? Certainly, the past news did say that her relatives and intimates had been murdered which people_ used to _assume Lyra had did it because she was not in the pile of the deceased bodies.

"But wouldn't you find it strange that she'd depart to Japan from England to just create a new identity? And if she truly did murder her own relatives and intimates, wouldn't she be hypnotized and continue on with the murderings?"

Kazuya stared into his brother's eyes for a splendid amount before turning away. He peered outside the windows—the dusky afternoon light illuminating the dim room they were in.

His brother did have a successful point. But the fact that Tora is truly Lyra, and she had made some hoax identity for herself didn't make any sense to him. Normally his brain would just click away, but today was not the day for him and hearing this piece of data from his brother didn't help at all.

"Perhaps she has some business in Japan, which is not any different from us," Kazuya said, walking towards the monitors and operating a few programs. "Stupid medium," he acknowledged.

"Yes?"

"Our only priority is to merely find that person, not to figure out who Tora is," Kazuya said. "Just focus on that. Tora can come later." Kazuto nodded and began typing on the keyboards and monitor controllers.

Only if Lin was currently here.

. . .

Tora released a deep breath. She had been scuttling about to find specific areas to place the cameras. She had completed placing three cameras so far, and it had not been tough—that is, until now.

She was clutching onto a camera stand in her aching arms; she had never realized that the cameras were as substantial as she had thought. Perhaps she would go to the gym to gain a few muscles in her upper arms, however, she disliked muscles that appeared on ladies.

Tora sighed again and unawarely stumbled over a sturdy pin nail.

Pin nails. What were they doing to her nowadays?

She suddenly yelped and steadied herself before landing onto her ideal countenance. She liberated a breath of relief, glad that she had not shattered any more cameras otherwise Kazuya—or known as 'Naru' currently, would've chided at her ten times further.

She scoffed. Naru chiding at her and perhaps firing her—which is not possible considering his other assistant is still injured—just because of her klutziness. It surely would've been ludicrous for the reason that she didn't _exactly_ want to be a replacement for his injured assistant—even without a pay.

However, if she did receive a pay at the end of this case, she definitely would not mind still being Lin's replacement. Even if he was still healed by the time. It certainly meant she would obtain more money for her necessities and the debts she was in—it would've helped quite a lot.

She sighed again and ambled down a dim corridor. She shifted her arms and turned her head just to see a third story staircase in her sight.

"Why are there so many staircases in this building? Not that I mind since I had it in my past mansion, but I reckon it would collapse sooner," Tora muttered and sauntered up the creaking staircase.

Once upstairs, she realized it was dimmer than usual. "Perhaps it is haunted," she said and peered down the dark passageway.

Tora furrowed her eyebrows and shrugged away the eerie feeling she was sensing inside her body. She began setting the camera onto the floor and re-adjusted it, eventually causing the camera to view down the stairs she had once climbed up on.

She pressed her forefinger onto the 'Start' button as the camera came to life, the radiance of the screen glew lucid and effulgent. She began to press a few more buttons on the camera as it commenced to record on average speed.

She impassively clapped her hands and waved in front of the camera, obviously hoping Kazuto or rather Kazuya—as she had been intrigued by his attitude—to notice her.

"I'm finished!" She bounded swiftly down the stairs.

. . .

She softly breathed. Her head was lying down onto her arms that were resting onto the table; her eyes were closed.

She was snoozing.

The girl had somehow, unawarely slept once she had completed her job. Indeed, after the first session of placing the cameras around, Kazuya had given her two more sessions of it.

Kazuya was reading a few papers on his clipboard, oblivious to the girl that was sleeping. However, his twin on the other hand, was softly gazing at her sleeping form. The moonlight lit her pale countenance, eventually causing her profile to look further engaging.

Kazuya placed his clipboard aside and looked at his brother who was peering at the said girl. The twin was unaware of his gaze as he was too deep in thought.

"She can go home for the day," Kazuya said. Kazuto abruptly looked at him and narrowed his eyes. His forefinger promptly came up to his pastel lips. Kazuya tilted his head in confusion.

"She's sleeping," Kazuto informed. His twin flawlessly lifted an eyebrow.

"It's quite alarming how you're watching her sleep."

"She looks like a prepossessing pulchritude!" Kazuto huffed.

"That certainly does not mean you could gaze at her while she's in the midst of sleeping," Kazuya stated and walked over to the said girl. He stared at her pale countenance. It did look stunning to say the least; obviously due to the moonlight.

"You're such a hypocrite." Kazuto folded his arms over his chest and stared out of the windows.

"Wake her up and apprise her to go home. This place isn't her bedroom nor a slumber site." Kazuya tucked his hands in his pockets and followed his twin's deeds—staring out of the windows.

Kazuto sighed and shook the girl awake. She groaned as her hands promptly heaved to rub her eyes.

"What do you want?" She wanly loured at him.

"Go home for today," Kazuto bluntly said and noticed the grim bags under her eyes. Had she not been sleeping properly? He pondered.

"For _today_?" She promptly stood up, knocking her chair down flat on the floor behind her. "You can't be serious." She slumped down onto her fallen chair and covered her face with her pale arms.

Kazuto's hand unconsciously raised to his mouth and he glanced at his brother—who had became aware of his glance. He had knew his own identical needed his assistance. Kazuya cleared his throat.

"We'll see you tomorrow," he merely said and grabbed his clipboard again. He proceeded to purposely eye the papers—as if he had nothing to do. However, at the corner of his eye, he was watching the said girl.

Tora groaned and rose to her strained feet and trudged to the exit not before unawarely grabbing her school bag from the table. It loosely hung from her worn fingers as if it would descend on to the floor any time sooner.

"I'll see .. you tomorrow," she haggardly said and sluggishly waved a goodbye, but the twins did not reply the gesture. Apparently Tora almost stumbled over because of her worn out legs.

Once she was out of sight for the two identicals, they released a sigh. Kazuto snuggled into his arms that were resting onto the table and closed his eyes as if to sleep as well.

Kazuya shook his head and proceeded to watch the monitors.

. . .

Tora heard her stomach grumble audibly as she idly trudged outside of the building. She leisurely patted her stomach. "I apologize. I don't have any food at my apartment, nor will I buy any. My rent is coming soon."

She proceeded to tramp down the path and a torch suddenly flickered towards her. Her left hand abruptly reached up to her eyes as she narrowed them to see who it was.

"Tora?" She heard a familiar female voice.

"Were you with those two this entire time?" She heard another familiar female voice. "What were you doing?"

"Oh, it's you two," Tora muttered as loud as she could for Keiko and Michiru to hear.

"What do you mean _'It's you two?' _Is that how you treat your friends?" Michiru scowled.

"I'm worn out," Tora plodded towards them and slumped onto her reliable friend, Keiko.

"What were you doing with Shibuya-senpai?" Keiko asked and partially carried her exhausted friend to a nearby bench. Michiru followed behind.

"Oh, that weird Shibuya-san with that other strange Shibuya-san?" Tora groggily said as her head flopped onto Michiru's shoulder.

"What do you mean weird and strange?" Michiru huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "They look somewhat smart!"

"Trust me, they're insane." Tora wanly waved her hand at her. "I was doing psychic research with those two. They weren't upperclassmen in our school."

"Eh?" Keiko started. "Psychic research?"

"They weren't upperclassmen in our school?!" Michiru exclaimed and sighed. "And I had thought they were."

"They're ghost hunters," Tora mumbled as her eyes began to droop.

"Ghost hunters?" her friends exclaimed in unison. Tora leisurely bobbed her head up and down.

"Ito-san." The trio heard a voice and turned their heads to the left just to see Kuroda advancing towards them out from a dim site. "Could you introduce me to them?" she said.

"Introduce you to Shibuya-san and Naru-chan?" Tora drowsily said.

Her friends promptly turned towards her. "Wait a minute, what do you mean Naru-chan?" Keiko said. Michiru roughly poked her forehead.

"He's a narcissist. A big one at that!" Tora whacked Michiru's finger away. She turned towards Kuroda and gestured her to continue.

"I'd be a great help to them. After all I could sense spirits," Kuroda said and motioned at herself.

"I believe it's better not to get involved with them," Tora solemnly said.

Kuroda scowled visibly and rose her voice. "I'd be a better help than you!" she said angrily.

The trio stared at her until Keiko and Michiru dragged Tora away.

"Let's go," Keiko said, sparing another glance at Kuroda. Tora did the same before the dimness wrapped all around Kuroda's body, thus disappearing in her sight.

Once the trio had reached to a place where it was all isolated, they leaned against a railing, getting their breaths back into their average pace.

"Man, what's with her?" Michiru said, standing up and stretching her arms.

Keiko looked at her and followed suit. She began walking. "Do you think she got all lovely dovely over them?" She giggled, beckoning Tora and Michiru to follow her.

Michiru giggled as well. "Maybe!"

Tora's friends' voices began to fade. She proceeded to stare at the place once they had came from and sighed before following her friends.

* * *

**I apparently apologize that this one wasn't as long as the other chapters. Really. **Like I said, these were written long ago, and I hope that if you do like them, I might as well continue them. (; That's all I want to say .. However, if you don't like this story, then I might .. you know .. delete it and CRY(waah!) again . All right. That's all for this chapter .. If you want more chapters .. YOU GOTTA SCREAM FOR MOAR! Mwahaha(Really). Good bye! :S

**EDIT:**

Since I'm not getting many**(Or Any)**reviews, thus making me wondering if people do actually like this story, I'm quite up for not continuing this story. I'm just extremely curious if anyone does enjoy this series, and the fact that getting no reviews on what I could change or what they do/don't like, doesn't exactly help me, ya'll know? What I'm merely saying is that I'm not getting **any**/many reviews so I'm not sure if anyone does like this series ..


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